Drilling apparatus



March 16, 1943- F. H. MUELLER ETAL DRILLING APPARATUS Origin 11 Filed July 17, 1940 wi l! Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UlTED STAT DRILLING APPARATUS Frank H. Mueller and Walter J. Bowan, Decatur,

1ll., assignors to Mueller 00., Decatur, 11L, a corporation of Illinois Original application July 17,

1940, Serial No.

346,052. Divided and this application December 12, 1941, Serial No. 422,773

i claim. (01. 77-40) This invention relates to drilling apparatus of the type used in drilling mains and equipping them with connections for branch lines. Machines of this type comprise a barrel or housing adapted to be'sealed at one end against the main, the other or outer end of the barrel being closed by a cap provided with a bore in which is rotatable and reciprocable a boring bar whichcarrice the tool or the branch line fitting to be secured in the opening drilled in the main. The cap is secured against the outer end of the barrel and a packing is provided between the cap and the boring bar so that when the barrel has been placed in communication with the main,

as it is at the end of the drilling operation, flow i from the main will be completely confined to the barrel. In the barrel is a valve seat which demarks upper and lower chambers and a valve is cooperative with the seat to isolate the two chambers when necessary in the use of the machine. In order that the valve may be unseated it is desirable or necessary to equalize the pressure in the chambers and it is also desirable or necessary at times to relieve the pressure in the upper chamber. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved bypass and relief arrangement whereby the above mentioned equalization or relief can be readily accomplished. The accompanying drawing shows an example of the improved construction and further description will be made with reference thereto.

1n the drawing:

Figure 1 is an axial section of a drilling machine equipped in accordance with the invention, the machine being shown in association with a main which appears in partial transverse section.

Figure 2 is a section substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure a is an elevation of a portion of the machine with parts removed.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 18 designates generally a barrel or housing comprising inner and outer portions H and |2 which are threaded together at I3. The barrel is supported on the main 14 through the intermediary of gaskets l5 and I6 and a saddle IT. Threaded on the upper end of barrel portion l2 and sealed thereagainst through the intermediary of a gasket i3 is a cap l9 having an externally threaded neck 28 provided with a bore in which is rotatable and reciprocable a boring bar 2| which,

as here shown, carries at its lower end a combined drilling and tapping tool 22. A packing 23 is interposed between the cap and the bar so as to prevent leakage past the latter. A feed nut 24 is threaded on neck 20 and pivotally carries a yoke 25 engageable with a thrust collar 26 on bar 2|. As here shown, the thrust collar is provided with a threaded portion 21 which at the beginning of the tapping operation will engage internal threads 28 of neck 28 and thus supersede the feed nut in advancing the bar. It is immaterial to the present invention, however, in what manner feed is effected.

Toward its upper end barrel portion H. is formed with a'downwardly .faced annular shoulder 29 and with a lateral enlarg'ement'3ll. which extends upwardly at 3| past the shoulder 29. Pivoted in the chamber extension 3| on an operating shaft 32 is a flop valve 34 which, as shown, can be positioned in the enlargement 39 out of the way of equipment carried by the boring bar, or can be swung in a clockwise direction to engage shoulder 29 as a seat and thereby isolate the upper and lower chambers from each other.

Somewhat above the operating shaft 32 the barrel portion II is provided with a flat machined external surface 35 which is inclined outwardly and toward the upper portion l2. A bore or passage 36 formed in the wall of portion terminates in a port 31 at the surface 35, this passage leading from an interior point above seat 29 and being thus in communication with the upper chamber. A bore or'passage 38 leads from the top of chamber extension 3| to a port 39 at the surface 35 adjacent to, and, as here shown, horizontally aligned with port 31.

A bypass valve 40 comprises a housing 4| having a flat machined face 42 and three lugs 43, 44 and 45 provided with holes adapted to register with three tapped bores 46, 41 and 48 01f of face 35, and the housing face 42 is adapted to be secured against a gasket 49 interposed between it and the face 35 by three screws, as shown, the gasket being pierced at the ports 31 and 39 so as not to obstruct the latter. The housing 4| has a conical seat 50 for a mating plug 5| which has a stem 52 projecting through a retainer cap 53 threaded on the housing 4| and packed as shown. Fixed on the stem 52 is a knob 54 by means of which the plug 5| may be turned.

The inner end of plug 5| is provided with an axial bore 55 which joins a radial bore 56 so that an L-shaped passage is provided. At the inner end of the plug, housing 4| has a passage or chamber 5'! which registers with port 3'! so as to be in communication with the outer chamber of the barrel ID. The housing is also provided with a passage 58 registering with port 39 so as to be in communication with the lower chamber of the barrel l0. Also at 90 from the passage 58 housing 4| is provided with a lower relief opening 59.

With the plug in the position shown, its counterbore 56 is in register with passage 58 of the housing and consequently, with the flop valve closed, fluid is enabled to pass through plug bore 55 and passages 57 and 35 to the upper chamber of the barrel in. If the plug is rotated somewhat in a clockwise direction, Figure 3, a solid wall 7 portion of the plug will come over passage 58 to close the same so that the upper and lower chambers of the barrel are isolated from each other. If the plug is turned 90 in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 3 ;a solid wall portion thereof will again block passage 58 but the counterbore 56 will be in register with relief opening 59 so that fluid in the upper chamber of barrel l can be drained 01f.

From the above it will be seen that the disclosed apparatus provides in a simple and efiective manner for pressure equalization or relief as required and that the machine operations in manufacture and the assembly ,of parts can be carried out in a convenient and economical manner. Of course, variations in detail can be made from the specific disclosure herein and consequently we do not necessarily limit ourselves in such respects, the invention extending to such as fall within the claim.

This application is a division of our application Serial No 346,052, filed July 17,1940, now U. vS. Patent No. 2,291,979, issued August 4, 11942.

We claim:

In a drilling machine, a barrel adapted to be disposed with one end in sealed communication with a main containing pressure fluid, means sealing the other end of the barrel, a valve seat in the barrel intermediate the ends thereof demarking inner and outer chambers, the inner chamber including a lateral enlargement extending somewhat outwardly of said seat at one side thereof, a flop valve in said enlargement cooperative with said seat, the barrel being provided with a passage leading from the outer chamber and terminating in a port at the exterior surface of said barrel, and with a passage leading from the outward extension of said enlargement and terminating in a port at the exterior surface of the barrel adjacent the firstnamed port, and a bypass valve including a housing secured to and sealed against said surface in overlying relation to said ports, said housing having therein a valve seat of circular section and a rotary valve plug cooperative with said seat, said plug having an axial bore at its inner end and a radial bore terminating in said axial bore; said housing having a passage at the inner end of said plug registering and communicating with the port which communicates with said outer chamber, a passage registering and communicating with the other port and with which said radial passage is registrable, and a relief opening with which said radial passage is registrable.

FRANK H. MUELLER. WALTER J. BOWA-N. 

